Exhaust valve assembly for a two-stroke engine

A method of operating an exhaust valve assembly of a two-stroke internal combustion engine, the valve assembly including:

• a valve actuator, a two-part valve having a first valve part operatively connected to the valve actuator and a second valve part, and at least one auxiliary valve operatively connected to the two-part valve, the method comprising:
• moving the valve actuator between a first position, a second position and a third position, the second position being intermediate the first and third positions;
• moving the first valve part to a fourth position when the valve actuator is moved to the first position;
• moving the first valve part to a fifth position when the valve actuator is moved to the second position;
• moving the first valve part to a sixth position when the valve actuator is moved to the third position, the fifth position being intermediate the fourth position and the sixth position;
• moving the second valve part to a seventh position when the valve actuator is moved to of the first position;
• moving the second valve part to the seventh position when the valve actuator is moved to the second position;
• moving the second valve part to an eighth position when the valve actuator is moved to the third position;
• moving the at least one auxiliary valve to a ninth position when the second valve part is moved to the seventh position;
• and
• moving the at least one auxiliary valve to a tenth position when the second valve part is moved to the eighth position.